Font size and line height affect readability.…People use their central and peripheral vision to take in more than one word at a time.…But if text is too big, people can't take in more than one word at a time.…This slows down their reading.…And the other hand, if text is too small it's hard to read the words.…The trick is finding the best font size for the job.…The recommended size for text on a Web is 12 to 16 pixels.…

We have a range of sizes to work from, because not all fonts are the same.…Fonts with smaller x-heights look smaller;…fonts with bigger x-heights look bigger, even at the same size.…So finding the best font size depends on what front you're using.…Here is 12 pixel Georgia.…It's a little small.…It's got a relatively small x-height, so it should be set a little larger than…the smallest recommended size.…I would go with 13 pixels minimum, but I prefer 14 or even 15 pixels.…

If you're familiar with setting type size for print, these sizes might seem too large.…You're probably used to setting type at around nine points, but remember,…

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Author

Released

7/14/2011

Learn how to choose fonts for a web site and create beautiful, legible type. Author Laura Franz shares how to create designs that maximize readability (and keep visitors on the page) by paying attention to details in size, line-height, line length, alignment, color, vertical space, and more. Laura also demonstrates how to incorporate web fonts, style type with CSS, and pick fonts that work well together.